


Side by Side

by Quickspinner



Series: Sprint Fic Challenge [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Endgame Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Fluff, Growing Up, LBSC Sprint Fic Challenge, Tiny bit of Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26480773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quickspinner/pseuds/Quickspinner
Summary: In all of life's ups and downs, all that really matters is they're together.Written for the LBSC Sprint Fic 9/9/20 ChallengePrompt: "As long as I'm next to you, I don't care."
Relationships: Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Sprint Fic Challenge [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1904854
Comments: 11
Kudos: 134
Collections: LBSCSprintFicChallenge





	Side by Side

**Author's Note:**

> Challenge Rules:
> 
> Pick a prompt and write for that prompt in up to three 15 minute sprints. No writing outside the sprints until you have completed all three! After the 3 sprints are complete, you have 24 hours to edit (which can include some new writing to smooth transitions, etc). After those 24 hours, post what you’ve got!
> 
> Prompt:  
> "As long as I'm next to you, I don't care"
> 
> More information on the challenge [here](https://lovebugs-and-snakecharmers.tumblr.com/post/628998346167762944/lbsc-sprint-fic-challenge-1)!

“You don’t have to stay with me, you know,” she says, distracted, around the pins in her mouth. Her brow is wrinkled and her expression is one of concentration. “This has to be really boring for you.”

“It’s not.” 

Marinette huffs in a way that can’t be safe considering her mouthful of pins. “I’m totally ignoring you.” 

Luka smiles, and strums his guitar. “As long as I’m next to you, I don’t care. You don’t have to entertain me. I just like being with you.”

Marinette shoots him a look from under her bangs, one that is part reproach and part amusement, but as her eyes fall back to her work, he can see the corner of her smile shift the pins, and the touch of a blush on her cheek. He grins, and strums on. 

* * *

“You really don’t have to do this,” he tells her with a gusty sigh as he plops down beside her in the blanket nest they’ve made on the Liberty’s deck. A matching one made of pink and purple blankets waits a short ways off. “It’s Jules’ turn to pick. We could have gone somewhere else.”

“That’s not really fair, though,” Marinette pointed out, snuggling into his side. “She sits through the movies that we pick. We can’t just ditch her when it’s her night to pick.”

Luka makes a face. “Yeah, but…I know how much you hate horror movies.” 

“Yeah,” Marinette sighs, making a face that matches his. “But as long as I’m next to you, I don’t care.” He grins and lifts his arm and she snuggles into his side. “Besides,” Marinette adds, resting her head on his shoulder as they get settled in the blanket nest. The smell of popcorn warns them that Juleka and Rose are on their way. “Nobody ever actually pays attention to the movie on movie night.” 

Luka grins and kisses her, and then picks up a piece of popcorn from the handful Juleka flings at them and pops it in his mouth.

* * *

“I’m sorry,” she gasps as they land on the balcony. Ignoring the blinding flash of pink and green light that follows, he throws his arms around her and crushes her to him. “That wasn’t how I wanted you to find out.” 

Luka says nothing, just curls closer around her, and buries his face in her shoulder. For once, he’s not careful, and Marinette sinks under his weight, and they end up kneeling on the floor of the balcony. Marinette presses close, turns her face to kiss his hair, but he doesn’t move. Finally, she has to push at him gently. “Luka, we can’t stay up here.” 

“Don’t make me let go,” he pleads. “Not yet.” 

“Okay,” Marinette says, but she breaks his hold, and takes his face in her hands, forcing him to lift his eyes to hers. “But not here.” His long fingers wrap tightly around her wrist, but he fists the other against his chest. She fumbles behind her one-handed for the latch, and somehow gets it open despite the awkward angle. Sass is at Luka’s shoulder, whispering, and Luka is nodding, but he won’t, or can’t, let go of his grip on Marinette. 

She pulls him down through the skylight, and then they’re in a heap on her bed, trying to arrange themselves. “I’m sorry,” she says distractedly as she finally manages to slot herself up against him and wrap her arms tight around him. “I know it’s a bit cramped.” 

“As long as I’m next to you, I don’t care,” he gasps, and then he’s sobbing into her hair. Marinette can only hold him and press close, so he can feel that she’s here and alive. She’s not sure what she saw, but Viperion’s stricken face when he looked at her after the battle—stared at her in disbelief and fear and maybe even denial—she knows it was bad, and she knows that whatever he might have suspected before, now he _knows_. 

She holds him until he falls asleep, and has a quiet conference with Tikki and Sass. When dawn comes, Luka shimmies down the outer wall of the bakery, the snake miraculous still glinting on his wrist.

* * *

“Are you really sure about this?” Luka asks with a sigh. “You know how demanding he is.” 

“I can handle it for a summer,” Marinette assures him. 

“I’m not even sure _I_ can handle it for a summer,” Luka grumbles, looking at the huge, ostentatious tour bus with a sense of dread that he would die before admitting to Jagged or anyone else besides Marinette. “And all I have to do is stand where they tell me and play. There’s no telling what craziness he’s going to ask you to do.” 

“As long as I’m next to you, I don’t care,” Marinette says, reaching up to cup his cheek and make him look at her. “Hey. We’ve faced a lot worse than eccentric rockstar together. It’ll be fine, and this way I don’t have to be away from you for a whole summer. I know this is hard for you, with all the...drama, between him and your mom. I know you must have questions and I don’t want you to have to face this alone.” 

He bends down and kisses her, not even caring who’s watching, wrapping his arms round her waist and pulling her as close as he can get her. There’s whooping and catcalls from somewhere behind them but Luka doesn’t care, overwhelmed with love for her and touched by her concern for him. 

Marinette giggles when he finally pulls back. “Exhibitionist.” 

Luka shrugs and grins. “Gotta get used to the audience sometime.” 

* * *

“Are you really sure about this?” Marinette sighs, straightening Luka’s collar and fixing his tie. “I’m afraid you’re going to be miserable all night.” 

“It’s just a party, Marinette,” Luka shrugs. “I can handle a party.” 

Marinette wrinkles her nose. “It’s a stuffy, schmooze-the-rich-people party. You’re going to spend the whole night following me around bored out of your mind.”

Luka smiles at her. “As long as I’m next to you, I don’t care. Besides, this is your dream. I want to be there. For all of it, not just the glamorous parts. And you know I love watching you in your element, talking shop and kicking ass with that pretty little smirk on your face.” Marinette giggles and he dares a quick lean forward to kiss her forehead. “Maybe I can’t do much to help, but I can at least be with you.” 

“You always help,” Marinette tells him, smoothing his suit coat down before stepping back. Her gaze shifts from critical to appreciative and he suddenly feels warm. “You’re presentable. Let’s go.” She turns to grab her purse and Luka’s eyebrows soar. 

“Is it me, or did the back of that dress get a lot lower than the last time you showed it to me?” he asks, and Marinette smirks at him over her shoulder.

“I can’t give away all my secrets before the big night,” she says, coming back to take his arm. “I wouldn’t want you to get bored with me.” 

Luka has to laugh at that. “You could _never_ be boring. But I appreciate the effort.” He drops his hand to her extremely bare lower back to guide her towards the door. “Very much.” 

“Come on,” Marinette says capturing his hand and arranging his arm back where it belongs, with her hand at the crook of his elbow. “We took down Hawkmoth. A bunch of stuffy old rich jerks are going to be a piece of cake.” 

The comparison gives away her nerves, so he just covers her hand with his own and presses as they go down the steps to the taxi waiting for them. 

* * *

“Luka,” Marinette complains, dropping a stack of magazines on the counter. “You’re not even listening.” 

Luka sighs and tries to smile. He’s not a morning person and while he’s glad Marinette’s excited, he’s having trouble waking his brain up enough to care about napkins and color palettes and frilly decorations. “I’m listening,” he says, leaning his cheek on one hand. “But I might hear more if you let me finish my coffee first.” 

Marinette pouts, and snatches his cup from him, taking it to the coffee pot to refill it. She sets it in front of him and sits down at the table, folding her arms and looking like she has every intention of watching him drink it so that she can hold him to his word.

He opens his mouth and Marinette points at him accusingly before he can say anything. “Don’t you dare say you don’t care,” she warns. “This is our _wedding_ , Luka.” 

Luka picks up his coffee cup. “We’ve been engaged for a week, Marinette,” he points out before sipping it. “It’s not that I’m not excited—” He’s _so_ excited, and the sight of the ring on her finger makes him nearly giddy. “But we do have time.”

“Luka,” Marinette groans, tipping her head back. “When do we _ever_ have time?”

Luka pauses, the cup nearly at his lips, suddenly considering his schedule and hers and how hard it was to even remotely coordinate their work so that they could spend what free time they had together. “Okay, point,” he conceded, and sighed, drinking his coffee a little faster. “And I do care, but at the same time, I don’t.” He gave her a smile that he was sure looked utterly besotted—which was fine, since he was. “I just want to marry you.” 

She smiles back at him, softer this time, and he takes another sip of coffee before he adds, “And I want to wear a kilt.” 

Her expression goes from sweet to shocked so fast he nearly choked on his coffee trying not to laugh. “A kilt?” she demands, slamming her hands on the table. “You want to—but you never— _now_ you decide to be Scottish??” 

Luka bites his lip to keep in his laughter and shrugs. “Tuxes are boring.” 

Marinette splutters for a moment, and Luka drains the last of his coffee before reaching over to pull her into his lap. “Come on,” he coaxes, rubbing his nose against hers and dropping a couple of light kisses on her lips. “We’ll get it all figured out and it’ll be beautiful, and half a dozen things will go wrong—”

“And I won’t care as long as I’m next to you at the end of it,” Marinette reluctantly admits, looping her arms around his neck and leaning down to kiss him more thoroughly. “I’m still going to make you look at ten different place settings,” she warns, and Luka shrugs good-naturedly. 

“Can we cuddle while we look?” he asks, nuzzling her jaw. “We can look at every china pattern that ever existed. I don’t care as long as I’m next to you.” 

Marinette giggles and kisses his forehead. “Sap.”

“You sure you don’t want to just go down to city hall right now?” he sighs, laying his head on her shoulder.

“Oh no you don’t,” she scolds, pushing him back. “You’re not cheating me out of my dream wedding with your— _Couffaineness._ First of all do you have any idea the kind of hell that would descend on us from my Maman’s half of the family _alone_ — _”_

Luka puts his head back down on her shoulder and lets her rant on, smiling to himself as he closes his eyes. As long as she’s next to him, he really doesn’t care about anything else.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to include them going into the final showdown with Hawkmoth somewhere in there, but I ran out of time! 
> 
> There will be another challenge soon so if you're interested, check out the link in the header notes!


End file.
